I have watched a lot of these videos. No one should ever dive into anything. Not a pool nor an ocean nor a lake. Diving and car accidents seem to be the top causes of spinal injury. God bless you for keeping such a good attitude all these years.
Thank you for sharing your story. I am in my final year of schooling to become an occupational therapist. I want to be able to learn from others who are the experts of their own lives and experiences. Something a textbook can never teach. Thanks and congratulations on your accomplishments and on your future life endeavors.
I'm totally into your story, Christopher. I just found your channel, and it's safe to say that I could listen to you forever. You seem to have a positive attitude, and that makes a ton of difference to anyone in your situation. I'm in my mid-forties and have been living with severe arthritis for a few years. It's getting progressively worse as I get older. And whilst it comes nowhere near to the extent of your injury, I have very bad days where I'm in constant pain, and have difficulty walking, sleeping, getting out of bed, etc etc. i have yet to be assessed for a rare arthritis called ankylosis where the bones begin to fuse. My sister already has it and will soon be in a wheelchair, and this condition can run in families. Anyhoo, the way you put a quirky positive spin on things is totally inspiring, and dare I say it, a joy to listen to? You should really write a book about your experiences, and make a fortune. You're a great guy. I look forward to watching more of your videos. Keep them up.
I had the same level of injury but in a car accident and everything you said was exactly what I went through and it is hard but i also have goals to be fully independent and after almost a year since my accident I'm almost there and it makes me really happy to know that someone with the same injury as me made it, and just makes my goals feel a lot closer, so thank you for making this video
Cripple E oh man, you've got this! The first two years are the most difficult. Just keep that chin up and keep working hard. Make sure you keep creating goals and you'll continue to grow. You'll get that independence back in no time. Thanks for watching!
rachal mercado Thanks for watching! The beginning is the hardest part. He'll make it through. Let him know you guys can reach out to me with any questions! Keep pushing!
I hear you ... out and it's another sad story again, I understand ... I was too... in pain, I had a car accident I was in the hospital... I know, it was painful it was. But it is going to get better for you if you can focus in yourself and take easy on yourself. You can do it. God is willing to help you... Humble yourself and all the support and courage that can push you through life is no limits!!! .... don't give up and climb the mountain
Christopher, You are SUCH A FINE EXAMPLE for everyone! 1) You are HOT 2) You are POSITIVE 3) People who feel hopeless can see that if you can do this, they might be able to too! 4) You are HONEST. We love you!
Great video! Looking forward to more! Glad to see you're doing so well. My brother is a C3-C5 fracture injury C6-C7 fuse, he incurred other injuries during his auto injury but we'll save that for another time. I hope and pray one day he can be completely independent as you are now. My family and our friends will be right next to him till that day. My brother is currently going to outpatient therapy here in S.A. and wanted to know where you did your outpatient therapy? Good luck with future videos! 😊
Met you and your posse in NAWLINS last spring. You wrecked your chair and ended up under my friends legs. staring right at her cookie! had such a good time with yall. I'm looking forward to more vids. ;)
ill have to check out the rest of ur story. just watched the 1st. ill compare our stories. I'm 40 years old and been a C5 quad since i was 17, 22 fuckin years lol..maybe i shld do a vlog lol. good to see u keeping ur head up bro. Keep it up
hey man . great video i also am a c7 quad . but im incomplete also c3 to c7 is fused .. had a siezure fell down 12 stairs had a tbi also .. that was new years eve of last year . i was at work ... keep on venting man please !!!!!
pat mcclory ah man, that's tragic. Hate to read that story but stoked you kept on keeping on. Thanks for watching and I hope to get some more vids out soon.
Bro I had a similar accident as well. I broke my c5/c6 vertebrates diving in a pool. Your story brings back some memories that I had completely forgot about lol
I broke my C5 C6 C7 vertebrae, fractured my left shin, broke my left femur, left collarbone, both jaws, pallet in my mouth, took out 6 teeth, a crushed skull, bruised brain... It will be one year in two days. I have no clue how I'm supposed to live on my own.
I enjoyed watching your video and I can relate to a great deal of it, as I'm also a quad (C6-7). You mentioned you work-that's awesome! Can I ask what you do? Working is something that I very much want to do. I did work, post injury, full time for a year after graduating college with a BS in Finance but was then infected with Lyme Disease that went undiagnosed for a long time. After treatment, I've been left with a great deal of chronic fatigue, which is my biggest obstacle. Also, I was wondering how you work and balance all the additional medical expenses that quads incur (monthly supplies, meds, adaptive equipment, etc.) in addition to the regular expenses of living. Thanks, in advance, for your reply. I hope you can help me with some of these questions, especially the last one. Since, as you well know, adaptive equipment used for everyday use-i.e., items to help grip silverware, toothbrush, phone, gloves to help grip and push our chairs and much more...to adaptive equipment for exercise/sports-i.e., "Active Hands", chest belts, etc. Thanks again!
I don't have quadriplegia but I know what you are talking about. I was in the hospital for 6 -7 months and there was never quiet so neither I could sleep and I wasen't alone in the hospital room so every time the doctors needed to check the girl next to me they whare loud AF
great story telling about a sensitive subject for you, i know it was a while ago and time has healed a lot but i know you still feel bad at times, i luckily compared to you fell out of a 2nd floor window onto concrete but only ended up incomplete para L1 burst fracture, i can walk etc but i use intermittent catheters and do bowel routine its virtually an invisible disability but i do have slight limp after a fair walk and some people say when its going to get better but i have to tell them it never will as its paralysis down the calf i have altered sensation in the buttock perineal area so have saddle parasthesia ? i know how lucky i was not to have what you have or even full paraplegia , i too was gutted at the time but in hospital it opened my eyes up to the other guys there and how bad they were which made me feel a lot of guilt
+Lisa B Lisa, I know this respond was just for Christopher, but since I read it - more than a year ago - I tried to figure out the meaning of "PRI", but even google didn´t help me at all. Would you tell me what "PRI" stands for, please ? Thank you very much ! Greetings and all the best from Germany !
diSCIpling Recovery YES dude. I'd love to get into something like that. Shoot me an email at cm.sotelo89@gmail.com or add me on Facebook and we can throw some ideas back-and-forth to see what we can come up with. Sorry I'm so late on this! Hope life is going well brother.
hi, l enjoyed your video. i've been a quad for 37 years and as well you could imagine it's been a wild ride! i dated a lot until I met my wife 5 years after my injury. back then they said i wouldn't be able to have kids naturally but I already knew different because well l'll just say i knew and leave it at that unless we end up talking on the phone. so we now have a daughter and a son along with a 3 year old grandson and another grand baby on the way! i've been driving myself for 35 years and 4 of my 5 vans have been 4 X 4, lots of fun! anyways I could go on & on but too much to write so if you want to just pm me and I will send my phone #. Sincerely, barbados199
barbados199 I had my injury about 5 years ago and in that time, I have no idea how I can meet new girls and eventually form relationships. Can I ask, how you went about it ?
Great video! I have to say I was completely absorbed by your retelling of your journey... you're quite good at it. :) One thing I just have to comment on as it's driving me crazy: people are such absolute morons! Who in their right mind tries to challenge someone's DIAGNOSIS?! Me imagining their thought process: "Yeah, you only spent 7 months in hospital and about the same doing OT & PT - you obviously didn't learn the proper terms to describe your injury in that time! Here, allow me to correct you!" Me after: What... the... EFFFFF?!?! Shaking my head over here. Sheesh. But, you have to laugh, right?! Keep smiling, keep moving forward, make more videos (I hope), and doing as great as you clearly are. Yay, you! ;)
Hi friend I am disabled friend My not good voice friend My had slowly written friend I live in biratngar city Nepal friend I am poor friend My not wheelchair electric friend Help me please friend
I have watched a lot of these videos. No one should ever dive into anything. Not a pool nor an ocean nor a lake. Diving and car accidents seem to be the top causes of spinal injury. God bless you for keeping such a good attitude all these years.
Thank you for sharing your story. I am in my final year of schooling to become an occupational therapist. I want to be able to learn from others who are the experts of their own lives and experiences. Something a textbook can never teach. Thanks and congratulations on your accomplishments and on your future life endeavors.
You're a captivating storyteller!
I'm totally into your story, Christopher. I just found your channel, and it's safe to say that I could listen to you forever. You seem to have a positive attitude, and that makes a ton of difference to anyone in your situation. I'm in my mid-forties and have been living with severe arthritis for a few years. It's getting progressively worse as I get older. And whilst it comes nowhere near to the extent of your injury, I have very bad days where I'm in constant pain, and have difficulty walking, sleeping, getting out of bed, etc etc. i have yet to be assessed for a rare arthritis called ankylosis where the bones begin to fuse. My sister already has it and will soon be in a wheelchair, and this condition can run in families. Anyhoo, the way you put a quirky positive spin on things is totally inspiring, and dare I say it, a joy to listen to? You should really write a book about your experiences, and make a fortune. You're a great guy. I look forward to watching more of your videos. Keep them up.
Thank you for the encouragement. Great story. You inspire me.
Thank YOU for watching. New videos coming soon. Thanks for the support.
I had the same level of injury but in a car accident and everything you said was exactly what I went through and it is hard but i also have goals to be fully independent and after almost a year since my accident I'm almost there and it makes me really happy to know that someone with the same injury as me made it, and just makes my goals feel a lot closer, so thank you for making this video
Cripple E oh man, you've got this! The first two years are the most difficult. Just keep that chin up and keep working hard. Make sure you keep creating goals and you'll continue to grow. You'll get that independence back in no time. Thanks for watching!
thanks my husband has been going thru it i hope someday he can have as positive of a outlook as you do I just started watching these videos with him
rachal mercado Thanks for watching! The beginning is the hardest part. He'll make it through. Let him know you guys can reach out to me with any questions! Keep pushing!
You are such a fascinating story teller & I love and admire your positive vibes 💜💙💜💚💜
Julie RocketQueen thanks for watching! I really appreciate the support.
You're so funny and entertaining. I've loved all the three episodes of the Vent. Please please make more videos!
SUMEDHA GAJBHIYE thanks for watching! More to come.. finally. I promise
You are so amazing! No idea how I've only just found your videos but I'm glad that I have! ☺️
Zoe Mairs I'm stoked you found them. Thanks for tuning in 😏
Me too dude! I get to binge watch the rest of them now :p Can't wait to see more of your videos in the future!
Christopher Sotelo - hey handsome
Are you gay by any chance??
You're very cute 😍😍😍
Great introduction, i cant wait to hear more.
I hear you ... out and it's another sad story again, I understand ... I was too... in pain, I had a car accident I was in the hospital... I know, it was painful it was. But it is going to get better for you if you can focus in yourself and take easy on yourself. You can do it.
God is willing to help you...
Humble yourself and all the support and courage that can push you through life is no limits!!! .... don't give up and climb the mountain
I love how positive you are!
Melly Mcquillen you're far too sweet. Thanks for watching!
of course :)
Fantastic video. honest, funny, self-deprecating!
This was such a great idea to help share what it's like to go through a major accident like that! I'm looking forward to the next video!
Thanks for watching! I'm glad I could share. I'll get some new content out ASAP.
Christopher,
You are SUCH A FINE EXAMPLE for everyone! 1) You are HOT 2) You are POSITIVE 3) People who feel hopeless can see that if you can do this, they might be able to too! 4) You are HONEST. We love you!
Jennifer Sinclair ahhh, your words are way too sweet. Thank you for all of the compliments and for watching the vids. Hope life is treating you well!
Great video! Looking forward to more! Glad to see you're doing so well. My brother is a C3-C5 fracture injury C6-C7 fuse, he incurred other injuries during his auto injury but we'll save that for another time. I hope and pray one day he can be completely independent as you are now. My family and our friends will be right next to him till that day. My brother is currently going to outpatient therapy here in S.A. and wanted to know where you did your outpatient therapy? Good luck with future videos! 😊
I'm so glad I found you :) I hope you're well.
You're amazing :) glad I found this video!
(I got in a wheelchair 2 years ago and I can learn a lot from you)
Wow, you're so awesome!
Even though this doesn't happen to everyone, it could happen to anyone. Be careful out there. Cheers!
wow I live in San Antonio. Pat O' wow that place. Are you still in Texas. Your videos are awesome!!!!
Met you and your posse in NAWLINS last spring. You wrecked your chair and ended up under my friends legs. staring right at her cookie! had such a good time with yall. I'm looking forward to more vids. ;)
Hahah, ah man. I guess I had to balance the crash out someway. Should have been more gentleman like when looking up. I'll work on that, haha.
Your personality makes me smile. :)
Do you have a job ? What do you work ?
Stay strong and best wishes!
ill have to check out the rest of ur story. just watched the 1st. ill compare our stories. I'm 40 years old and been a C5 quad since i was 17, 22 fuckin years lol..maybe i shld do a vlog lol. good to see u keeping ur head up bro. Keep it up
hey man . great video i also am a c7 quad . but im incomplete also c3 to c7 is fused .. had a siezure fell down 12 stairs had a tbi also .. that was new years eve of last year . i was at work ... keep on venting man please !!!!!
pat mcclory ah man, that's tragic. Hate to read that story but stoked you kept on keeping on. Thanks for watching and I hope to get some more vids out soon.
How one freak accident can completely change your hole world, WOW! Hang in there sweetheart , you have a great out look on your life.
Ur awesome!!!
Vent chat any time .I had a spinal cord disease. Wish u well
great job cousin I liked it, I learned a few things and it was funny too. keep putting content out.
Bro I had a similar accident as well. I broke my c5/c6 vertebrates diving in a pool. Your story brings back some memories that I had completely forgot about lol
I broke my C5 C6 C7 vertebrae, fractured my left shin, broke my left femur, left collarbone, both jaws, pallet in my mouth, took out 6 teeth, a crushed skull, bruised brain... It will be one year in two days. I have no clue how I'm supposed to live on my own.
It's no easy journey, my friend. Try and keep a positive attitude and determination. Those two things will take you far in recovery and life.
+Mohamed Duale car wreck at an intersection without any stopsighns
+Mohamed Duale I was driving and no but if I was I would be dead because I'm 6' 2" and my vehicle is smashed.
+Mohamed Duale nah man :/ I've been down
+Mohamed Duale you have FB?
I enjoyed watching your video and I can relate to a great deal of it, as I'm also a quad (C6-7). You mentioned you work-that's awesome! Can I ask what you do? Working is something that I very much want to do. I did work, post injury, full time for a year after graduating college with a BS in Finance but was then infected with Lyme Disease that went undiagnosed for a long time. After treatment, I've been left with a great deal of chronic fatigue, which is my biggest obstacle. Also, I was wondering how you work and balance all the additional medical expenses that quads incur (monthly supplies, meds, adaptive equipment, etc.) in addition to the regular expenses of living. Thanks, in advance, for your reply. I hope you can help me with some of these questions, especially the last one. Since, as you well know, adaptive equipment used for everyday use-i.e., items to help grip silverware, toothbrush, phone, gloves to help grip and push our chairs and much more...to adaptive equipment for exercise/sports-i.e., "Active Hands", chest belts, etc. Thanks again!
I don't have quadriplegia but I know what you are talking about. I was in the hospital for
6 -7 months and there was never quiet so neither I could sleep and I wasen't alone in the hospital room so every time the doctors needed to check the girl next to me they whare loud AF
great story telling about a sensitive subject for you, i know it was a while ago and time has healed a lot but i know you still feel bad at times, i luckily compared to you fell out of a 2nd floor window onto concrete but only ended up incomplete para L1 burst fracture, i can walk etc but i use intermittent catheters and do bowel routine its virtually an invisible disability but i do have slight limp after a fair walk and some people say when its going to get better but i have to tell them it never will as its paralysis down the calf
i have altered sensation in the buttock perineal area so have saddle parasthesia ? i know how lucky i was not to have what you have or even full paraplegia , i too was gutted at the time but in hospital it opened my eyes up to the other guys there and how bad they were which made me feel a lot of guilt
Good vid broski!!!!!!!
stay up bro! xo
SomebodyIusedtoknow (Mariam Paré) that's the only place I stay! 😏
You should try PRI for your posture. If you can blow up a balloon, you can do PRI. 👍👍👍
Lisa B I can't blow up a ballon though 😬😬😬
+Lisa B
Lisa, I know this respond was just for Christopher, but since I read it - more than a year ago - I tried to figure out the meaning of "PRI", but even google didn´t help me at all.
Would you tell me what "PRI" stands for, please ? Thank you very much !
Greetings and all the best from Germany !
People challenge you about your own injury?! Wow, people are strange
Thats because you're an Angel ! 😉😍😍😍
funny stuff bro! Lets do a collaborative video soon
diSCIpling Recovery YES dude. I'd love to get into something like that. Shoot me an email at cm.sotelo89@gmail.com or add me on Facebook and we can throw some ideas back-and-forth to see what we can come up with. Sorry I'm so late on this! Hope life is going well brother.
👍
hi, l enjoyed your video. i've been a quad for 37 years and as well you could imagine it's been a wild ride! i dated a lot until I met my wife 5 years after my injury. back then they said i wouldn't be able to have kids naturally but I already knew different because well l'll just say i knew and leave it at that unless we end up talking on the phone. so we now have a daughter and a son along with a 3 year old grandson and another grand baby on the way! i've been driving myself for 35 years and 4 of my 5 vans have been 4 X 4, lots of fun! anyways I could go on & on but too much to write so if you want to just pm me and I will send my phone #. Sincerely, barbados199
barbados199 I had my injury about 5 years ago and in that time, I have no idea how I can meet new girls and eventually form relationships. Can I ask, how you went about it ?
So much cuteness 😋
👍🇵🇭disabled here too keep strong
hamburger patty lmao! U r right.
How did it happen
Great video! I have to say I was completely absorbed by your retelling of your journey... you're quite good at it. :)
One thing I just have to comment on as it's driving me crazy: people are such absolute morons!
Who in their right mind tries to challenge someone's DIAGNOSIS?!
Me imagining their thought process:
"Yeah, you only spent 7 months in hospital and about the same doing OT & PT - you obviously didn't learn the proper terms to describe your injury in that time! Here, allow me to correct you!"
Me after: What... the... EFFFFF?!?!
Shaking my head over here. Sheesh. But, you have to laugh, right?!
Keep smiling, keep moving forward, make more videos (I hope), and doing as great as you clearly are. Yay, you! ;)
He's so adorable... I'd make out with him all the time.
Hi friend
I am disabled friend
My not good voice friend
My had slowly written friend
I live in biratngar city Nepal friend
I am poor friend
My not wheelchair electric friend
Help me please friend
You're not even paralyzed.
???
Chris I just fell in love with you ! omg I love you can u shout out to me Paula Bednjak. please marry me. 😘